Does enjoying your coffee at a former Shell gas station from the 1950s —or even in Berlin’s first crematorium—sound extraordinary? In fact , there’s even more to discover. For example , you can enjoy your coffee surrounded by historic road bikes, some of which are several decades old and linked to big names in cycling. The Steel Vintage Bikes Café at Wilhelmstraße 91 in Berlin-Mitte is much more than just a bike café. Behind the venue lies a story of historic racing bikes, special collector’s items, meticulous restorations, and a passion that has grown from a small project into an internationally renowned business.
The Steel Vintage Bikes Cafécombines a café, a bike shop, a workshop, and cycling culture . Instead of typical café décor, historic racing bikes hang on the walls here. Many of them are genuine collector’s items that have been restored and, in some cases, are also for sale. As a result, the place feels more like a small cycling museum than a classic café in some respects.
The story of Steel Vintage Bikes began in late 2011. During his studies , founder Alexander Bisaliev became increasingly interested in vintage racing bikes and began repairing and restoring older models. This personal passion eventually evolved into a business specializing in classic racing bikes with steel frames.
From the very beginning, the focus has been on vintage racing bikes from past decades. Models from the period between the 1950s and 1990s are particularly interesting. These include bikes from traditional manufacturers such as Bianchi, Colnago, and other classics of European cycling. Some of these bikes are now more than 70 years old and sell for several thousand euros. The bikes aren’t simply used for decoration; they are collected, restored, and sold.
In the past, the inventory included particularly extraordinary pieces. These included, for example, a historic racing bike associated with Belgian cycling star Eddy Merckx . This bike was later sold to British cyclist Bradley Wiggins, who in 2012 became the first Briton to win the Tour de France and went on to become a multiple Olympic champion. As a result, the history of this Berlin bike shop extends into the international cycling scene.
At times, the collection was significantly larger than what visitors could see in the actual store. During an earlier visit by the *Tagesspiegel*, around 25 vintage bicycles were on display in the salesroom, while another 150 or so bikes were stored in the basement. The staff jokingly referred to this basement as a “mausoleum.” Among the bikes there were racing bikes from various countries and decades, including rare models from the 1950s. However, these figures are from earlier years and should not be taken as a representation of the current inventory.
Steel Vintage Bikes began as an online shop for vintage bicycles. Later, a brick-and-mortar store in Berlin was added. This eventually led to the idea of combining a bike shop with a café. The goal was for visitors not only to buy a bike or bring one in for repairs, but also to be able to stay, drink coffee, and chat about bikes and cycling.
